“Health is paramount”- Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts won’t take any risks for Shohei Ohtani’s pitching comeback mid season | MLB News

Right in the middle of a heated baseball season, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace Shohei Ohtani could be expected to return as a pitcher in Major League Baseball, ever since August 2023. Media reports suggest that Shohei Ohtani has been making progress and the Dodgers are hoping for his return as a pitcher in the second half of the season. The team manager, Dave Roberts, however, believes the team prioritizes Shohei Ohtani’s health more than anything.

Could Shohei Ohtani’s pitching comeback be expected sooner?

The last time Shohei Ohtani pitched was in August 2023, when he was playing for the Los Angeles Angels. But, Ohtani is working really hard and is making progress when it comes to pitching. Recently, Ohtani managed to throw a 30-pitch bullpen session, which included fastballs and splitters.
Now, moving forward with Shohei Ohtani’s progress, The Los Angeles Dodgers’ moves have to be extremely careful. Ohtani’s recovery from Tommy John surgery is a priority concern for the Dodgers. Also, because he’s their best hitter. One wrong move could change the game for the team and Ohtani.
However, fans could expect, if everything goes in line for the team and Ohtani, when it comes to pitching, Ohtani could make a stunning comeback as a pitcher, possibly in the second half of the season.

Dave Roberts prioritizes Shohei Ohtanu’s health above everything else

Recently, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dave Roberts spoke about Shohei Ohtani’s bullpen session, where he felt Ohtani was skilled and his pitches came out well. Roberts said:
“Came out of it well, I think it’s just going to continue to build up, build on that, and we’ll see where he goes from there.”
Dave Roberts told media persons that Shohei Ohtani’s health is a priority concern for the team. He said:
“Ohtani’s health is paramount, most important, so whenever that time is and his buildup reaches its full maturation, he’ll pitch for us.”
Dave Roberts felt Ohtani’s command and velocity, which reached 90-92 mph, was pretty good. He praised his skills and said:
“Velocity was good, I think that they want to keep him right around 90 miles an hour. He was right where they needed him to be.”
As per MLB, earlier, Roberts has been suggesting May as a possible time for Ohtani to be able to pitch. However, it couldn’t work out as the progression had to be delayed due to Spring Training and Tokyo Series.
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